Malaysia Airlines is ready with a set of initiatives that includes flying new aircraft on Indian routes, to enhance its position in one of the fastest growing markets for the airline in the region, according to a Debabrata Das report in the Hindu Business Line. The carrier is set to start receiving delivery of the 15 new Airbus A-330 it ordered last year. One of those in brand-new livery and seat configuration, will be offered on the Delhi-Kuala Lumpur route. “I think this year we are very excited to offer our new A-330 on the Delhi route. The new aircraft will add to our product offering for the Indian market,” said Azhar Hamid, Regional Senior Vice-President.
Apart from the wide-body A330, the airline will also be launching the narrow-body Boeing B737 on the Bangalore and Hyderabad routes. “We have started to receive delivery of the new 737s from last year; and definitely from next year two of these would be deployed on the Bangalore and Hyderabad route,” said Dato’ Bernard Francis, Executive Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, Malaysia Airlines.
According to Francis, Malaysia Airlines continues to grow in the Indian market despite the rise of new lowcost carriers such as AirAsia. “Despite AirAsia, the number of Indian passengers we carry continues to grow. The growth witnessed in the Indian market is close to 25 per cent,” said Francis. The airline wants to increase the number of flights to India but is awaiting government approval.
The Malaysian carrier, which has airport lounges in six cities across the world, may open one in India if the numbers make sense. “We do open airport lounges but depending on the numbers. We also work together with our partners, for example in India. But even though it’s not our own (lounges), we ensure top quality in terms of food requirements and passenger comfort. We will choose to open airport lounges if the volumes make sense,” added Francis.
No comments:
Post a Comment